Ways to Whiten Your Teeth and Save

Published by admin on Tagged Body, Beauty & Health go smile teeth whitening zoom whitening

Few cosmetic improvements are as (relatively) affordable as teeth whitening and make such a difference in brightening your looks. Happily, the technology has recently become more affordable. If you’ve balked at paying $300+ to your dentist and have a red wine fetish, read on!

Previously, dentists enjoyed a monopoly of sorts in the bleaching biz because they were the only ones able to take exact impressions of your teeth. For safety and bleaching comfort, you need custom fitted bleaching trays (upper and lower), but that drove up the cost of bleaching.  Solution?  Now online companies will send you the impression material direct; you bite down and send your chopper impression back to them. Voila! Custom trays arrive shortly thereafter. Cost is approximately 1/3 of a dentist visit, from $129 to  $149.

How Bleaching Works

Teeth darken with age and exposure to cigs, coffee, cola, and red wine. Bleaching uses a carbamide peroxide solution (10% or 16%) to gently whiten the stains trapped beneath the enamel. Trays are filled with bleach solution and worn at night or during the day for 2-3 weeks. Touchups are typically done every six months or so, for several nights.

It’s totally worth it, but beware: the peroxide can irritate your gums, big time. If you have a tiny cut or canker sore, it will feel like someone is driving an awl into your brain. My dentist recommended rinsing with liquid fluoride before putting in the trays; it helped toughen up my gums. 

Other Options

From over the counter remedies to laser bleaching, you have choices. Many dentists offer bleaching free for new patients. If you are considering a new dentist, keep your eye out for these offers which will appear on the dentist’s website (some even advertise on billboards).

BriteSmile or Zoom

Whitening for those who can’t wait. In one hour your teeth can go up to 9 shades lighter. It requires a dental visit where your teeth are painted with gel and subjected to a bright light source (laser). Three 20-minute applications of the light and you’re done. Cost: $500.

Go Smile

Little whitening ampoules and a daily touch up system to reduce even the tiniest dimming of your toilet bowl shade. $89

Crest Whitestrips

This at-home bleaching uses near-invisible, peel off bleaching strips. Use two times a day for 30 minutes each. Process takes about 14 days. Cost: $44.  

Toothpaste

The best whitening toothpastes are Rembrandt, or Aqua Fresh Advanced Whitening (make sure it says Advanced, not regular whitening). Arm and Hammer’s Baking Soda Whitening is also a good choice.

May 20th, 2007